


Pinky Promise

by Icka M Chif (mischif)



Category: Trolls (2016), Trolls World Tour (2020)
Genre: Angst, Body Horror, Broken Promises, Consequences, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Fairy Tale Elements, Future Fic, Gen, Oaths & Vows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23812063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischif/pseuds/Icka%20M%20Chif
Summary: There are consequences to breaking a Pinky Promise.It began as a little cut on Poppy's finger, from when she snapped the Six Strings of Music and breaking the amassed Trolls out of Queen Barb's Rock spell.It didn't heal though, not the way small cuts normally did.
Relationships: Branch & Poppy (Trolls)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 72





	Pinky Promise

_Pinky, pinky bow-bell,_

_Whoever tells a lie_

_Will sink down to the bad place_

_And never rise up again._

Dictionary of Americanisms, 1860

* * *

It began as a little cut on Poppy's finger, from when she snapped the Six Strings of Music and breaking the amassed Trolls out of Queen Barb's Rock spell. 

It didn't heal though, not the way small cuts normally did. She got paper cuts all the time, one of the side effects of scrapbooking, but they usually didn't hurt much and healed up on their own. This one ached, hot and swollen to the touch, like it was infected. 

She put creams and ointments on it, things that usually worked, but they did nothing. She hid the cut behind cute bandages and ignored it. Poppy had other things to focus on. 

Like being a good Queen to the Pop Trolls. 

She had singing and dancing and partying and having as much fun as possible to do. It didn't come quite as easily as it had before they'd learned there were other Trolls out there, with all their different kinds of music. It was a little harder to get the energy going, to get the beat to stick, the harmonies to flow right. 

It still worked, but she felt tired afterwards in a way she'd never felt before, somehow drained. Instead of sharing the music, the channeling the flow of everyone's energy, it was like she was somehow trying to pull it from a reluctant source. 

She wasn't as close to her friends, to the Snack Pack anymore either. She didn't notice it until Branch left, but she was alone a lot more often than not. 

Branch leaving was a surprise. He was the Troll most devoted to their village other than her, and she would have thought it was impossible for him to leave. He'd finally said he loved her too, a feeling she’d eagerly returned, which he'd seemed happy about. Poppy loved all of her friends, some just needed it spelled out a little differently was all. 

But one day three trolls with a strange strong beat to their music and hips like liquid showed up, and Branch had seemed happy to see them. Tresillo had asked Branch to go with them, and Branch had smiled widely and agreed. 

The cut began to ooze the next day. 

Cooper left sometime around then too. He'd been spending his time between the Funk Trolls and the Pop Trolls, but then he just... Didn't come back. There was no final goodbye or official parting, he just vanished.

Guy Diamond made a comment about needing to find more trolls to be role models for Tiny Diamond, and they'd gone in search of more Hip Hop Trolls. Poppy had wished them well, and told them they'd always be welcome with the Pop Trolls. 

Guy had given her a strange, disbelieving look, and Tiny had made a sound like a scoff. 

Satin and Chenille got inspired and went to see what other fashions there were in the world, and she heard back occasionally, the two of them happy with the Techno Trolls, creating a fusion, Electro-Pop. 

Biggie, Smidge, and Fuzzbert were still around, but Poppy didn't see much of them, they were busy doing their own thing. Which was cool, friends needed to have different hobbies. 

The cut got bigger. It made it hard to do crafts, the injury constantly scraping against the paper and the material. Her once daily cards out to friends turned into weekly, her unable to do things at the speed she was used to due to the pain. 

When her finger stopped her from being able to play her favourite guitar, Poppy finally went to go see Dr. Plum Plimsy about it. The Doctor clucked her tongue at the cut, gave Poppy a lollipop and said there wasn't anything she could do. It wasn't something medicine could cure. 

Dr. Plum Plimsy got very quiet when Poppy as asked what would help heal it, then commented that Poppy should know. 

Which didn't help at all. 

The music got harder. She could feel the beat, find the song in her heart, but it didn't always come out right. It sometimes felt like there was a needle in her throat when she sang, making it hard to swallow. The big musical show stoppers she'd always done as natural as breathing fell apart. There weren't hands to pick her up, swing her around anymore. 

The cues got scrambled, toes got stepped on, Trolls lifting each other up in ornate displays fell down. It was a mess. 

Poppy didn't know what to do, and her Dad just stared at her with a pitying expression on his face. 

Word got around, that all the Trolls were meeting up again. She heard stories, people talking in excited hushed whispers that the Prince was going to be there. It made Poppy curious, she thought she knew all the Royalty now, and she hadn't heard of him. 

The Prince was rumoured to be able to hear a song, and within seconds, join in with the dance. Any type of song, any genre, any type of dance that was happening, he could step into as flawlessly as if he'd been doing it all his life. And he loved them all, his colours changing to greys of the Rock Trolls to the bright vivid hues of the Techno Trolls and everything in between as he danced. 

He didn't sing often, but when he did, it was with a voice that was clear and bright, like that of an angel singing. His singing could everyone to tears, bring hope, or make anyone want to stand up and dance. 

The Prince wasn’t royalty by blood, but having earned the name by acts of loyalty and respect. His origin was supposedly unknown, but everyone claimed him as their own. 

Poppy couldn't wait for the meet up, to meet this new Prince, and see all the Trolls she'd met up with on her 'World Tour'. Barb especially. They often sent letters, but not as frequently as Poppy would have liked due to her hand slowing her down. 

She counted down the days eagerly, trying to drum up the excitement she felt about it with the rest of the village, but the result was lacklustre at best. Still, Poppy didn't let it discourage her. She'd brought all the Trolls together once before, she could do it again. 

And then the day arrived, Poppy practically bouncing in eagerness as they approached in the balloon, seeing all the different kinds of Trolls, singing and dancing in all their different harmonies. She threw herself out of the balloon as soon as it touched down, eager to join in. 

She got polite smiles and people made way for her, which was nice. And then she heard the whispers of the Prince was there. Interested, she made her way towards the sounds of singing.

Delta Dawn was singing something upbeat for a change, the Country Trolls doing some sort of dance with them all in a line that involved a lot of precise footwork, toe-tapping, and turns with the occasional clap and jump. They seemed to be having fun. 

And there in the middle was Branch, dancing as if he knew every step in the dance. She raised her hand to wave, and a long strand of hair whipped out of the crowd, grabbing Branch and pulling him out of the dance, and to another circle. 

They seemed to be doing some sort of Salsa, Branch dancing with a Troll wearing a long flowing dress who got extremely up close and personal with Branch, who didn't seem to mind at all. 

"I see you found the Prince." A voice drawled in her ear, making her jump. Poppy turned to find Barb standing there with an amused smirk on her face. "Who would have thought it from him, right? But you should’ve heard it when he was playing with us, was like he was born a Rock Troll.” 

“Branch?” Poppy gestured over her shoulder as Branch got pulled into a different circle, Trolls cheering as the music changed again. “ _He’s_ the Prince?!”

Branch, her friend, the one who was paranoid and still lived in a bunker? The one who had to make plans and back up plans for everything? Dancing and laughing as if he didn’t have a care? Good for him, but couldn’t he have done it back with the Pop Trolls instead of being serious most of the time? 

“Right?” Barb laughed, watching the dancing with a fond look. “Hopefully they'll let him rest sometime."

Poppy dismissed him from her mind, focusing on her friend in front of her. “Barb!” She cheered, holding her arms open for a hug, excited to see her friend. 

To her shock, Barb's eyes went wide and she took a step back, away from Poppy. "...Oh."

"Barb-?" Poppy ventured, confused. 

"I didn't realise." Barb looked away, clearly uncomfortable. 

Poppy let her arms drop. "Realise what?" 

Barb pointed to Poppy's hand with a pinched look on her face. Poppy covered the bandage up with her left hand, feeling self conscious "You're an Ơ̵̢̖͈͍͎̈̌̎͝a̸̝̲͚̿͌͊̉́͜t̵̡̘͓͇̑̐͗ẖ̴̲͙̊́̕-̵̡̨̗̬̂̋͋͌̿B̴̡̢̘̈́͑͌̄ͅr̵̯̻͎̲̠̾e̷̢̨̩̮̗̓̋a̶̼̼̭̹̞ḱ̶̠͇e̷͉̝̠̪̿̋̀̉r̷̮̃̇͛̇̃.̷̲̏́̄̅"

There was something about the way Barb said the word, calling her an ‘Oath-Breaker’ that felt like a discordant note down Poppy's spine, like the wrong note played at the wrong time, the screeching of an instrument played badly. 

"Wha-?" Poppy laughed. "No, I'm not." She was a good girl, she didn’t break her promises. Never have, never will, she told Biggie.

Barb grabbed Poppy's arm, lifting it up to eye-level and ripping the bandage off her pinky, the skin a sickly greenish grey, wrapping most of the way around her finger. "You broke a pinky promise." Barb stated bluntly. "You know what the consequences are."

Poppy shook her head. "There aren't any." Just hurt feelings that eventually went away and everything was fine again. 

Everything was always fine again. Sometimes it just took a little while before it was again. 

Barb's lip curled and she dropped Poppy's arm. "You're kidding me, right?" She said, stepping back as if Poppy was somehow contagious. "A pinky promise is SERIOUS. You break that, you either lose your pinky, or you go to the bad place and never get out again." 

Poppy stared down at her finger, the way that the cut seemed to almost go down to the bone, as if it were rotting her pinky off. 

"How do I fix it?" Poppy asked. There had to be a cure, a way to make everything better. There always was. “Is there a way to fix it?”

“Yeah.” Barb shook her head, stepping away into the crowd. "You don't break your flipping word in the first place." She spat. 

With a last wave, Barb disappeared into the crowd. Poppy took a step after her friend, then stopped, having already lost sight of the other Queen. 

Poppy looked around at the Trolls around her, realising the expressions she’d thought were polite smiles were grimaces of discomfort and disgust as they moved away. Isolating her. Leaving her alone, like a sour note in the chorus. 

She looked down at her pinky, which was grey where it had twined with Biggie’s, when she’d promised to always protect him, no matter what. A promise she hadn’t been able to keep for even a day. 

A broken promise that she’d never apologised for. And was probably too late to do so now. 

She had two choices, now that she knew what was happening. She could cut off her pinky before it fell off, and everyone know forever that she’d broken a pinky promise.

Or she could keep going as she was, down towards the bad place. 

Poppy looked around at everyone ignoring her, seeing through her as if she didn’t exist. Thought about the way the music didn’t flow, how hit hurt to sing, like she was swallowing needles when she did so. The way her village was shrinking, Pop Trolls leaving for other lands. 

And wondered how much farther she could sink. 

-fin-

**Author's Note:**

> -So I saw Trolls: World Tour and had a lot of feels. After writing this, realising not all of them good. One of the big annoyances with the movie is that there are no consequences for anyone's actions. A big magical showy deal was made of making a pinky promise, but nothing about breaking it. 
> 
> Sinking to the bad place and losing your pinky are the consequences listed of breaking a pinky promise on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinky_swear). 
> 
> Branch's nickname was 'Prince', because Justin Timberlake, who voices Branch, is known as the 'Prince of Pop'.


End file.
